Why are Risk Assessments important?

A risk assessment is a systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in a job or task that is being carried out.

Employers need to think about what might cause harm to their employees, visitors and contractors and decide whether sufficient steps are in place to prevent harm.

In order to carry out a risk assessment you need to;

identify the hazards

decide who might be harmed and how

evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

record the significant findings

review the assessment and update if necessary

A risk assessment is a legal requirement and they are required to be carried out for all tasks, activities and environments (e.g. offices, laboratories, production areas, remote work sites) that have hazards associated with them.